Government Shutdown Looming

9/18/2013 1:00PM

How does the Syrian chemical weapons affect Iran? Plus, will the government shut down on October 1? And extending minimum wage protections...what does it mean for the country? Also, what does Narendra Modi mean for India?

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... I ... I ... the ... while Storch intro I'm Mary Kissel ... the bomb is great big serious stall is not going down well in Washington ... in just these last hours to Fed comments from two former defense secretary's ... on either side of the aisle here is that they had to say and I put up a quote first from ... Leon Panetta and he said ... one of the United States runs a red line the credibility of this country is dependent on him backing up his word ... what's the president came to that conclusion in other words not do anything ... initially directed limited action ... as Leon Panetta ... Robert Gates also voiced criticism ... I've got former UN ambassador and American Enterprise Institute senior fellow ... John Bolton in Washington to talk about this ... investor is unusual to have ... critiques like this strong words from both sides of the aisle ... why was struck by the criticism by both former secretaries of defense I think it reflects the perception across the board really except for the ... people who automatically read White House talking points ... that this so-called deal between the United States and Russia is a debacle for the United States ... the I personally have not favored the use of force ... either because of the red line toward a the Syrian opposition ... but the fact is what the president has done here has undercut his own stated objective of removing aside from power ... or of making that regime pay for the use of chemical weapons and I think it's ... perceived vary widely in the Middle East ... from which I've just returned after weak in the Persian Gulf area and I'm afraid it's perceived around the world ... as weak indecisive flip flopping by the United States it's gonna cost us ... not just in Syria but I think worldwide ... on your trip to the Middle East ambassador what specifically ... are your sources telling you ... about the likely outcome here mean ... are we looking at kind of plodding along talking about the chemical weapons ... Convention and then ... the story see how it goes I mean what what's what why when they see the endgame ... well I don't think anybody seriously believes this means the end of the Assad regime's chemical weapons capabilities let's be clear the Russians have been violated the chemical weapons convention since it came into force ... in the mid nineteen nineties and that government is cutting guarantee performance ... by Dish RL aside it's not gonna happen I think the Russians ... kept their eye on their strategic interests which was to buy time for side ... that that to permit the struggle against the opposition to continue ... and I think the United States didn't know throughout the course of the past ten days what its strategic interest is so ... there's no there's no red line on chemical weapons there's no American strike ... is no significant aid for the Syrian opposition I have to believe this is ... terribly demoralizing from the ... from the perspective of the opposition that actually was friendly to the United States I'm sure the terrorists than the radical Islam Asus and the opposition are delighted by what they say ... is there an argument to be made that Syria is in somewhat of a sideshow here ... that actually the real problem is what this is can it mean for Iran and Iran's nuclear program ... at slowly I think that's been the central point all along I think for all that ... Syria is a tragedy there's no doubt about that it is a strategic sideshow the support for terrorism by the regime in Tehran its ... nuclear weapons program Beery very close to ... success after twenty years of effort ... but this is where the administration should it focuses attention on making protection for e I think if you thought ... the Syrian chemical weapons deal ... was dead get ready for the deal the administration wants to strike with Iran over the ... much more dangerous much more threatening ... nuclear weapons program you've got the president ... and the Iranian President Husain Ripon a ... both speaking to the UN General Assembly next Tuesday ... the secretary general always has the winds that day to welcome the heads of state ... I think your Tennessee that famous handshake ... at that lunch is very easy to make that quote unquote ... happen ... so I think the administration is determined to show they can negotiate with Iran ... I think they won a deal I think they'll get a D oh and I think it'll be a terrible deal ... a terrible deal the president would likely play that up as President Obama the peacemaker ... the great achievement of his administration ... and that's right up till Joinus again on the show if and when that happens thank you so much for being on the program ... thank you Mary ... not to Washington both sides of politics seem to be girding for budget battles in the coming days ... a week just the remarks this morning from both the president ... and the majority leader in the house Eric Cantor have a listen ... we now have is the ideological ... fight it's been mounted ... in the House of Representatives that says ... we're not going to pass a budget and we will threaten a government shutdown ... alas we repeal ... the Affordable Care ... O plan ... to extend our nation's ability to borrow ... while delay Obamacare ... they're protecting working middle class families ... from its her riffic of facts ... welcome back to Opinion Journal I'm Mary Kissel at that Fox these commentator and author Monica Crowley here to talk about this budget battle we just heard like that ... there doesn't seem to be a lot of room for compromise on either side the president says ... he's never been to defund Obamacare is not to negotiate ... and it uses morning we saw on the House GOP say ... we're going to try and define the Obamacare ... to funding government that was our government shut down here we go again right I mean we've seen this pattern over the last several years where ... both sides weakness of a last minute and then everybody in Washington runs around with their hair on fire as the American people are wondering where's the budget why can't we have any kind of this fiscal discipline or responsibility ... so here we go again the difference this time Mary ... is that what you saw this morning the presence of look I have no intention of negotiating ... Yet Eric Cantor inviting the president to come to the table and negotiate what we've seen the pattern with this president is that he doesn't ... and negotiate he doesn't consult with Congress even members of his own party ... he doesn't tend to build coalitions in really working consulting compromise to negotiate he doesn't do that ... I don't think he's going to change this time around oh what this different ... is Obamacare ... Obamacare is the huge dynamic in this budget process ... and is complete into those size politics is present will never give out twenty inch on Obamacare he's done waivers he's done exemption system the employer mandate in weak that for year ... so he's chipped away at it but he's never been let the whole thing go because that's the signature of this ... the completely again ... suggested that the Republicans don't own conversely only control one house right and they did have leverage called the sequester ... into the pain ... to keep these government funding cuts going to think the stock to gather ... the present with Penta comments and I'm so ... you how you view the situation that new box themselves Interpublic ... sticking together Mary that the app and that would be a real numbers at the numbers look pricey but the Republicans right now it is to try to stay can sleep around ten Obamacare when some new polling this week showing increasingly the American people peak the Standard ... almost two-thirds won every killed either in total or in part to the Republicans have the American people but come on on their side effect Rasmussen yesterday ... released a poll showing fifty one percent of Americans ... actually prefer to see a government shutdown if it will stop the funding for cus menacing a government shutdown when her Republican here's what I'm saying the letters but saying ... it entree is coming out of the house just a couple of days ago put a piece of legislation in front of Congress to look like a merry can target a move on it what it says this we fully intend to find every other facet of the government except for Obamacare ... if they go head to vote for that vote on that in the house it passes the house has been invested to send and read the real game is what Republicans Republicans can win this fight politically ... they have the American people on this site but they have to win Mary is the best book and I'm very little faith in the real doubt as to when the messaging on the buying on the editorial pages if if the Republicans had just said ... let's continue the funding government with the sequester cuts ... they pass it the throne of the Senate the Senate can't mass market that now what they're doing is are singer is not a ... prude player in ... tax increases whatever you'd like and so this bill on the up ... and and different that somehow I'll tell ya I agree with with that mostly by the Obamacare battle is the battle to have because the socialize medicine and well blowout in three under par get the economy we can talk about tax reform until we're blue in the face that will not ... know they'll be no movement on any of these things if Obamacare goes forward the funding it is literally ... politically in the battle that the Republicans should fight and back until they should dine on ... but also remember that it has huge implications for this economy if it is allowed to go forward ... in what ever for men I know some of my fellow conservatives in the editorial page ... let it go forward with the disaster had been ... hanging on the necks of the Democrats next year into the art seen it ... yet and I understand that argument ... but once it goes forward and the benefits start flowing and attacks start going you will never be answered repeal agrees it has signed a bill that the finding in a government shutdown ... that the Republicans and that this is my point about messaging Republicans have to get their act together to make sure the public knows that if there is a partial government shutdown ... it's not the Republicans fault they passed a bill to fund every other part of the U S government except for the thing that Americans love it which is Obamacare like it's a wager that the president is willing to take based on insists on every member his presidency has been weekends in large part because of his mishandling of Syria what if Democrats New York Times today has front page story about the Democrats are very frustrating not willing to toe the line for him that much anymore and so he's going into these budget battles weekend on his own flight okay well so please both sides of the argument that Fox these commentator and author Monica Crowley thank you so much my pleasure thank you more to come on Opinion Journal states ... welcome back to Opinion Journal I'm Mary Kissel ... the Census Bureau is out with a new report on poverty in income don't ... don't turn on the screen right now it's a very importantly for ... its cuts and stunning numbers about poverty in this country ... I'm very lucky to have Employment Policies Institute Research Director Mike Saltsman in Washington ... to take this through a couple of these numbers night ... it really high rates of poverty some sixty percent of the port don't have ... jobs not working for ... um ... why are we in this masses is one of the world's richest countries ... well I think it's ... a certain today United in the data reignited a debate about what is the best way to grow the economy and in the look of this report it's ... I can use to live in John for forestry been seen recently or maybe things are getting ... worse than they were before but they're not getting better here Simon about forty six million people in poverty a fifteen percent poverty rate ... and we have a president who says the best way to grow the economy is from the middle out and that's kind of been code word for ... I'm ... higher taxes more regulation is ... in a more favors for unions the minimum wage ... and insert a stands in contrast to this other model which is sort of like let's ... let's keep regulations an advert in low and you know some of the rising tide lifts all boats is businesses to better everyone does better ... I and so I think that's kind of debate we're continuing to have is we look of the census reports for the ... on looking he's not terribly encouraging numbers ... is still growing the economy from the middle out is the most nonsense phrase I've ever heard in my life ... completely meaningless from an economic point of view ... but that's neither here ... nor there ... um what are things you point out your response was states raising the minimum wage to try to help ... some of these workers ... very well meaning policies that that they have the intended effect ... you need to know Annie and so you know that this news came out in all of the stories you know I add advocacy groups are being quoted sort of ... not wasting this opportunity to say hey you know is is this means we need to raise the minimum wage ... I'm but there's been a lot and a lot of other studies that looked at this you need to take a hit twenty eight states ... to raise the minimum wage between two thousandthree two thousandseven ... a new song no reduction army units in part because of that statistic you mentioned earlier because ... so many of the people or living in poverty ... don't actually have a job and can benefit from the reason so what they need is an economy that provides an entry level opportunity ... I as opposed to a well intentioned wage mandated doesn't help Metall ... on endorse another now spring asset like the common on Labor Secretary Tom Paradis came out ... and said that his agency is going to extend of both the minimum wage and overtime protections ... to nearly two million direct care workers Cesar ... Buckner says that the people working in homes ... this sounds good but isn't a good idea ... so I don't it's not you know that the issue here ... is a little different ... and ... the issue here is is more along the lines of what happens with over time so I've direct care workers tend to earn more than ... on minimum wage but you need ... they don't in any pain the overtime he can apply to foreign it's because your direct care worker ... this summer is essential living with someone you know me I'm you know for an entire day of their caring for someone whose elderly are set ... into the overtime provision guy is problematic United you Ardi have ... on new business could force are looking at this and saying well ... our costs are going up on overtime to your reimbursements from you know Medicare for instance are not going out ... and said they hadn't sent it now looks you basically just have ... more employees working fewer hours so that no one employee kicks in these overtime provisions in so ... I actually think it's going to mean less income for some the people working Nissan's right ... we almost wish that some of these bureaucrats would go back and take Economics one oh four and Employment Policies Institute Research Director Mike Saltsman ... stinky so much for joining us today ... it's ... next up Will might be India's next prime minister we've got insights from our columnists stated ... yes ... welcome back to Opinion Journal I'm Mary Kissel ... the like its rival China India actually has real democratic elections for higher office ... and there's been a surprise candidate that foreign for the opposition BJP party ... his name is Dorenda Modi ... not at the beest dot com columnist and American enterprises to fellow sometimes you may joining me now ... to talk about and ... the Sunnah not mean that Mr Moti is that a very gregarious and aging guy ... um that they're a lot of questions about his candidacy ... and pixel SketchUp who he is and ... how he rose to power ... well he's probably the most fascinating political figure in India today Mary ... Moti is on the one hand ... and economic womanizer he has ... a reputation for being India's most ... efficient economic administrator ... and most business savvy chief minister in the country ... on the other hand ... the shadow of horrible in the Muslim riots that took place ... only on and in his tenure ... in two thousand and two continued to hang over him ... as a result of that he is extremely an extremely polarizing figure you either love him or you hate him ... that is a little room for anything in between while in the Congress party as had such a grip on India for so long ... why would the BJP put up somebody as polarizing as is Mr Moti ... I mean in a nutshell this is the person who appeals most to the dates ... so if they want to give their workers out there want to get their voters out they want to say they want to ... energize people ... this is the lessons for people who like and he strikes in his face an extremely deep color with people who like and so they figured that ... he's the guy who's going to get people out ... he's the person who's going to motivate that extra twenty percent of the vote that they feel they would not be able to get otherwise ... that's the reason that go on with what let's be honest India's economy is an absolute mass ... than not getting foreign direct investment you have ... hundreds of millions of people in poverty it's it's it's a wrap ... with a prime minister Monday ... help fix that situation to seek India's best chance ... of getting back its economic lags ... I certainly think he is the best he has the best economic message of any politician in India today ... not said whether he can get in get back on its legs are not really depends on what kind of majority has ... aam she's been very decisive in the jaw that he's been in decisive day with a two-thirds majority in the state ... he's not going to have a two-thirds majority in the not so in the national parliament ... so whether he can do what he's done in which draws on August eight ... predicted the coming CTS while whoever wins something needs to change the beest dot com columnist and ADI fellow ... Sunday may think you so much for being on the show great to be back ... coming up on WS J live or have live coverage and analysis of the Fed's statement ... citing a one fifty five pm followed by burning keys press conference in more live coverage today so keep it here ... that's the end of opinion Journal today I'm Mary Kissel with The Wall Street Journal Editorial board ... thanks for watching ...